Identity Theft Article

Interactive Forms FAQ

Who Can Use This Program?

This program is designed for identity theft crge victims or advocates assisting them, who are representing themselves.

Why can’t I see the interview?I Keep Getting an Error Message: “There’s a problem. Could not find question. Unable to proceed.”

If Adobe Flash Player is not installed on your computer, you will get an error message at the beginning of your interview. Download it here: Adobe Flash Player. Scroll down and click “Install Now”. You do not need the free McAfee Security Scan Plus and should uncheck that box if you don't want to install it. You may need to restart your computer after installation.

What Software is Needed to Download and Print the Forms?

The interactive court forms download for printing in Rich Text Format (.rtf), which can be opened only in Microsoft Word. Make sure when downloading the documents your computer chooses that program to download the documents. Otherwise you will likely experience formatting or other errors such as getting nonsense or "gibberish" rather than a document. Note: Microsoft WordPad is NOT the same as Microsoft Word. Using WordPad WILL cause problems with your documents. If you do not have Microsoft Word, you can download Microsoft Word Viewer for free from Microsoft.com

Do I Need a Specific Browser to Access the Interactive Forms?

Make sure to use an updated, Flash-enabled browser such as Internet Explorer, Chrome, or Mozilla. You may want to check for the latest version of the browser by visiting their website.

What Should I Expect?

You will answer questions in an interview format and your answers will be used to fill in a letter that you can mail. Once you click the link to the form you need, you will be taken to our partnering site, LawHelp Interactive, to complete the interview for the interactive forms. At the end of the interview, you will “submit” your answers, wait for your documents to be assembled, and then download your documents for printing.

How Much Does It Cost?

There is no cost for using this program.

What Should I Know About Representing Myself?

The materials and assistance you receive from the interactive forms project are not a substitute for legal advice. The laws are complex. Following instructions and using the forms provided to you will not guarantee a favorable result. It is always advisable to talk to a lawyer about your problem before proceeding on your own if possible. You can review http://www.lawhelp.org/ for potential legal assistance.

How do I return to an interview that I didn't complete the first time?

You have the option to Sign up – saving a name and password. This will allow you to save your answers and return later. It will also save your answers to use in later forms. You will choose self-helper as the account type. You may enter your email, if you wish to email the documents. This can allow you to save them if you are using a public access computer. You will not be contacted by email. None of this information is available to or accessible by any other persons. The forms are hosted on an encrypted, secure server. Click here to read the full privacy policy. If you have registered and saved your answers on a previous visit, follow these instructions.

Step one: Log in. If you didn’t register previously and save your answers, then this option is not available. You will have to complete the interview again.

Step two: Pick your saved answers. You will return to the interview, but your answers will be in the blanks, so you can click through them quickly, until you reach the unanswered questions. You can change your answers at this point. However, complete the options as you did the first time. (If the interview asks a yes or no question, answer it the same this time through.) If you are using a new template, you can select saved answers and the relevant information will be transferred from your prior use. You will know what was transferred, because it will be in the boxes of the interview. You will need to answer any questions that aren’t answered already.

How do I find the document I created with this online interview?

If you get to this point, seeing this screen, your documents have been prepared.

“Save your answers” just saves the answers, not the document. You can use those answers again, but have to go through the interview again. You just don’t have to re-enter the information. To actually see the document, you have to click the “Get Your Document” button. This is the next screen and you press the Get Document button again. The file will open a box allowing you to select where you want to save the document. Save the document on your computer in a place of your choosing. You can then find where you saved the document, open it in Word, review, edit, and print it.